Revenge and Rhinestones: 9 to 5 The Musical coming to The Belgrade

Aug 9

2 min read

9 to 5 The Musical at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry from Tuesday 1 to Saturday 5 Sep 2026.

Preview by Amanda Burden

Get the kettle on because it’s time to brew up a cup of ambition, as Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 The Musical comes to the Belgrade Theatre this September.

If you, like me, associate the workplace with Zoom meetings, promises to ‘circle back’ and the dreaded team building day, it’s time to dust off the shoulder pads and pick up the enormous cellphone and zoom back to the 80s with 9 – 5 The Musical.

Originally inspired by the smash hit 1980s film starring Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, the show is set in the neon jungle of an American office, the workplace of three very different colleagues: Violet, the experienced office manager whose talent has been repeatedly overlooked; Doralee, the glamorous secretary judged by appearances rather than ability; and Judy, a recently divorced newcomer trying to rebuild her confidence.

Their boss, Franklin Hart Jr, is the sort of man who makes you want to check whether the theatre has a “boo-hiss” noise limit policy. A bullying, credit-stealing, ego-powered misogynist, he represents everything exhausting about workplaces where confidence is mistaken for competence and where women are expected to smile politely while being ignored, interrupted and leered at.

But all is not lost - Violet, Doralee and Judy refuse to take this lying down and embark on gloriously chaotic mission to reclaim their voices, their careers and their sense of self.

And that is why - unfortunately - 9 to 5 remains so relevant. We may have abandoned dubious outfits and perms, but the themes are still on point. Who gets heard? Who gets promoted? Who gets paid more? And how often are women expected to carry out the grunt work while someone else takes the credit?

Despite this, Dolly’s message is never gloomy. It arrives wrapped in tunes and vajazzled with rhinestones, accessorised with the outrageous optimism that we could only expect from the woman who proclaimed ‘the higher the hair, the closer to God’.

Expect iconic moments, unforgettable songs including the anthem 9 to 5, and a reminder that sometimes the best way to deal with a terrible boss is not to quietly upload your CV to Indeed, but to join forces with your colleagues and cook up something much more satisfying.

9 to 5 The Musical is at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry from Tuesday 1 to Saturday 5 September 2026. Shows are at 7.30pm with 2pm matinees on Thursday and Saturday. Tickets start from £20, available from the Box Office on 024 7655 3055 or visit: https://www.belgrade.co.uk/events/9-to-5-the-musical/